Can-soldering apparatus



(No Model.)

A. S. MUNGER.

CAN SOLDERING APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 2'7, 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED S. MUN-GEE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

- CAN-SOLDE RIN G APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,510, dated September 27,1881.

Application filed June 20, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED S. MUNGER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain Improvements in Can-Soldering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is more particularly designed for soldering flat-sided or rectangular cans; and it consists in certain novel combinations of parts, whereby the soldering operations may be conducted with very great efficiency and said sleeves D the springs f, pressing upward upon the sleeves D, will retain the latter in a dispatch.

Figure 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a central vertical sectional view of an apparatus embracing my said invention and Fig. 3 is a detached view, on a larger scale, of one of the parts of said apparatus.

A is a horizontal frame, supported on a central or axial shaft, B,placed in'a suitable hearing, 0, so that an intermittent rotatory move- -ment may be given to the frame A. The said frame is formed, preferably, ofspokes a,'radi- .ating from a central hub, b,'and joined at their extremities by the circumferential plates 0.

Upon the frame A is placed one or more sets of apparatus for gripin g and handling the cans to'be soldered. As r'epresentedin the drawings, the said frame is provided with two sets of such devices, arranged at opposite sides of 3 the frameA, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 1; but in practice one of said sets is placed at each of the several sides of the frame A. In other words, any desired number of said sets of devices are arranged at suitable distances apart around the circumference of said frame.

Each of the said sets of griping and handling apparatus is constructed as follows, and the description of one applies to all: Attached to the frame A' by pivots e are parallel sleeves D, which are pressed upwardby springs f,-and which may be depressed by a series of cams, g, attached to the cross-shaft E, which work in suitable bearings, h, on the frame A, the parts being so arranged that when a cam-like action of the cams g is'not exerted upon the aforesubstantially horizontal position. Extended through each sleeve D is a shaft, indicated at '6, upon the inner end of which is a spur-wheel,

m. Intermediate-between these spur-wheels m are pinions n, the shafts a of which work polygonal form. by one of its sides is placed a fixed table, I,

-inwardly-proj ecting studs 6.

lar series of 7 holes or orifices m. is supplied with a blast of air, which may be (No model.)

in suitable bearings provided upon the adjacent portion of the frame A. The object of the pinions n is to so connect the spur-wheels m that the latter, in rotation, will all'movein the so me direction. Upon the forward end of each of the shafts i is a fork, F, upon the inner side of each prong "r of which is pivoted a circular pad, 8, the said pad being of leather many other suitable material, attached by pivots b to the prong of the fork, so as to be capable of rotation around the said pivot. The edges of each pad 8 l/ are beveled to permit the more ready introduction of the can between the prongs 'r, hereinafter explained.

In order to insure the ready operation of the cams g, the shaft E is provided with a suitable lever-handle, G. The forks F project beyond the circumference of the frame A, as represented in the drawings. Upon the forward end of each shaft 2', just back of the fork F thereof, is a cross-bar, u.

The frame A, as indicated in Fig. 1, is of- Opposite the space occupied overthe inner portion of which pass the horizontally-projecting forks F. Provided upon the outer portion of this table I, and coincident with the spaces between the prongs of theforks F, are guides J,flaring at their outer ends, and the function of which is to guide the cans into the said forks. Placed opposite the next adjacent side of the frame A is a tank, K, which I contains the acid to be applied-to the cans preparatory to the application of the solder thereto, and which,like the table 1,is provided with Placed opposite the next adjacent side of the frameAis a tank, L, which may be heated by any suitable means, and which contains the molten solder designed for use in the operation of joining the seams of the can. This tank L, like the table I and the acid-tank K, is provided with the studs i. Placed adjacent to the next adjoining side of the frame A is a hollow box, M, which, like the 'acid and solder tank, is provided with studs i,

and in the upper part of which are rectangu- This box M of the ordinary atmospheric temperature, or, if desired; maybe made colder by any suitable means of refrigeration. i

The air is supplied to the box M by a suitable pipe or passage, and, issuing through the openings in the top of the box, is designed to rapidly cool the seams in order to solidify the solder which joins the seams.

Adjacent to the air-box last mentioned, and

. fixed by a suitable standard, N, underneath the frame A, is a horizontal ratchet or toothsector, 0, the teeth of which should be beveled to correspond to those of the beveled gear a, attached to the spur-gear m of the middle one of the shafts i, so thatduri n g the circular sweep of the table A the beveled gears a will strike the sector 0 and be turned one-half of a revolution, thereby reversing the vertical position of the cans as the same are held by the forks F. At the next adjacent side of the frame A is a second acid-tank, K, and at the nextadjaeent side of the frame A is a second soldertank, L, and at the next adjacent side of the frame A is a second air-box, M, while the next adjacent side of the frame A is left clear of any contiguous device, in order to permit the removal of the cans.

The foregoing description of the forks and their adjuncts applies also to the second or additional set of such devices or apparatus,which is placed at the oppositeside of the frame A, the structure of the machine being such that two or even more of such sets of devices may be in operation at the same time.

The operation of the invention is as follows, the description serving alike for each of all the sets of forks and their adjuncts: The unsoldered cans, each composed of a rectangular body with the correspondingly-shaped heads mechanically attached to its ends, are placed upon the table I and pushed inward through the guidesJ to and between the prongs of the forks F, the said cans being thus clasped between the pads s of the said prongs. This done, the table is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow until the cans are brought over the acid-bath K,whereupon the lever G is manipulated to depress the cans and dip the ends thereof into the acid contained in the said tank. Inasmuch as the forks F are laterally tilted to a slight degree when the arms a of the shafts 3 are released from the studs 2" of the table I, it follows that one edge of the lower end of each can will be somewhat lower than the other, so that when depressed, as just mentioned, into the acid, one edge will enter the acid in advance of the other portions of the bottom of each can, after which the arms a, striking the studs t" on the acid-bath K, are arrested thereby, and thus tilt the cans back to a vertical position, which brings the acid to a uniform height along the entire lower edge or end of the can. The object of thus operatin g the cans during the application of the acid is to insure the ready entrance and exit of their said ends to and from the acid without splashing or other annoyance. The acid being thus applied to the end-that is to say, to the first joint to be soldered of each can-a further movement or partial rotation is given to the frame Ato bring the forks F and their adjuncts opposite the solder-tank L, whereupon the said forks and their adjuncts are manipulated to depress the cans toward the said solder-tank L in precisely the same manner as they had been previously depressed with reference to the acid-bath K. The lower ends of the cans enter the molten solder at an angle, and being afterward brought to a true horizontal position (the body of the can being itself vertical) in precisely the same manner as said operation has been performed in regard to the acidbath, by reversing the movement of the lever G, thereby causing the forks F to rise from the solder-tank L precisely inlthe same manner as they had been previously lifted in the acid-bath K. Another movement in the same direction is communicated to the frame A to bring the forks F and their adjuncts over the air-chamber M, to and from which the cans arecaused to descend and ascend in precisely the same manner as previously to and from the acid-bath and solder-tank respectively, during which movement to and from the air-chamber and during the short period in which they remain over said air-chamber cold air blown through the openings m of said air-chamber M cools, and consequently solidifies, the solder, to rapidly finish the joint. The next forward partially-rotatory movement of the frame A brings the beveled gears n upon the toothsector 0, and, through the gearing hereinbefore fully described, turns the shafts i one-half of a revolution, thereby turning the cans the other end upward-that is to say, with the as yet unsoldered end downward-which done, they are brought over the second acid-bath, K thence to the second soldertank, L" thence to the second air-chamber, M".

The apparatus is manipulated at each of the said stages to complete the second solder-joint of the can in precisely the same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to the formation of the first solder-jointthereof. This done, the next forward partially rotatory movement of the frame Abrings the cans opposite the vacant space between the lastmentioned air-chamber, M, and the table I, where the tinished cans are removed from the apparatus, each complete rotation of the frame A, therefore, serving to complete the soldering of both ends of the cans held in the forks F and their adjuncts. A complete set of said forks F and their adjuncts is placed at one or more of the sides of the said frame A, and, if desired, one at each of the said sides. Each of the sets of apparatus operates in exactly the same manner as the others, inasmuch as each passes in succession from the table I to the acid-bath K, solder-tank L, air-chamber M, second acidbath, K, second solder-tank, L, second airchamber, M, and the vacant space, where they are removed.

It will be observed that the tilting or inclination of the cans by the striking of the arms 14 upon the studs 2', as hereinbefore explained mane a with reference to the acid-bath, the soldertank, and the air-chamber, produce certain material results, inasmuch as the movement thus given to the can substantially corresponds to the movement which would be given by the hand of the operator in case the cans were dipped by hand, the machine in the present instance operating with an even greater degree of accuracy than would be given by the intelligence of the operator by the hand method, thereby securin gadvantageous results nothitherto obtained in soldering apparatus. These results are greatest with reference to the application of the can when the latter is dipped into the solder-tank, the inclination of the can in the last-mentioned case enabling the solder to be applied far more perfectly than would be possible even if the edges were placed entirely upon a level and struck the surface of the solder at all parts simultaneously.

The application of the solder is more important in its immediate results in the manufacture of cans than even the application of the acid or the subsequent rapid solidification of the solder upon the joint.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. The intermittingly-rotating frame A, provided at one or more of its sides with a series of holding-forks, F, capable of simultaneous vertical movement, a table, I, acid-bath K, and solder-tank L, all in combination, substantially asaud for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The intermittingly-rotating frame A, a series or set of forks, F, for holding the cans to be soldered, a table, I, for feeding the cans to the forks, an acid-bath, K, a solder-tank, L,

and an air-chamber, M, constructed to blow air upon the soldered joint, all combined for joint use and operation substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The intermittingly-rotating frame A, a fixed sector, 0, a system of forks, F, the shafts of which are connected by suitable gearing, and one of which has a gear arranged to mesh into the sector 0, the table I, acid-bath K, solder-tank L, air-chamber M, duplicate acidbathK, duplicate solder-tank L, and duplicate air-chamber M, all in combination, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The forks F on the shafts i, the intermittingly-rotating'frame A, the fixed sector 0, the pivoted sleeves D, carrying the shafts t, the gear-wheels m, connecting the shafts t, the gear-wheels n, arranged to mesh into the fixed sector 0, the shaft E, having the lever G, and cams g, all in combination, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The intermittingly-rotating frame A, the forks F, provided upon the shafts i, capable of a vertical movement, the arms u, and studs 1, all in combination, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' 6. The intermittingly-rotating frame A and fixed sector 0, the springs f, with. the sleeves D, shafts 2', forks F, gearing m and n, all in combination, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

ALFRED-S. MUNGER.

Witnesses:

D. B. TREADWELL, DANIEL CAMERON. 

